BloodRed Zone
by apenandpistolinhand
Summary: A simple patrol through a Red Zone becomes quickly violent as a small squad of GDI Zone Troopers launches an ambush on a Nod armored column.


Chapter One

Red Zone D-19

The squad of Zone Troopers walked across the barren, alien landscape, panning their weapons about, always wary of Nod ambushes in Red Zones since the introduction of a tiberium infusion that would allow standard Nod infantry to operate in the normally toxic radiation of Red Zones. The point man, Sergeant Niles Keller, shook his railgun slightly in his hands to relieve his muscles, however momentarily. There would be absolutely no way he could have carried the weapon without the powered armor around him. Weighing in at over a ton, the bulky rifle could pound vehicle armor into oblivion in seconds. The stale air from the rebreathers in the suit flowed into his nostrils as the anti-fog visor, inevitably, fogged.

"Punch," one of his squadmates said abruptly, referring to Keller by his callsign, "I'm picking up something." Keller turned around to face Lance Corporal Malck, who had spoken.

"What is it, Pincer?" Malck readjusted the sensor array mounted on his back, and spoke again.

"Nod convoy, light vehicles. Point-three klicks northeast from our position bearing right past this position, just over that ridge," he pointed at a slight ridge to their left.

"Have they spotted us?"

"Uh…" Malck wasn't sure, but he was better at guesstimating than most Intel Officers, and he finally shook his head, an action only visible through his visor. "No, they haven't spotted us yet." Keller looked at the other three in the squad.

"What do you say? Up for a little target practice?" The others smiled and returned affirmatives. The Troopers ran, as fast as their heavy suits would allow, towards the ridge.

"They're almost up the ridge," Malck warned.

"Alright. Hit it! Let's blow the bastards!" Keller called, activating his jetpack along with his squad. They burst into the air, soared over the ridge, and landed plumb behind the Nod convoy. They turned their rail guns on the Attack Buggies and unleashed a hail of fire on the patrol. The buggy nearest Keller erupted in flames as the high-octane fuel used to give the buggy its signature speed erupted, ripping the buggy to shreds. A piece of metal, twisted in the blast, flew past Keller's head, and he kept firing. He ran up to a buggy that was starting to turn around. He leveled his railgun at the driver and fired, blasting vehicle and driver into oblivion. An Attack Bike appeared to be trying to run him over, which, due to the Zone Suit's massive bulk, wouldn't happen. Keller held out an armored fist that punched deep into the Bike's heart and he gripped it from the inside and tossed it like a rag doll over his head, and it crashed and exploded behind him. Not that he was paying attention. He had moved on already, firing repeatedly at the sole Scorpion Tank in the column. The first round buckled the armor plating, the second broke it, the third smashed the mechanism inside and the tank's servomotors detonated, blasting the turret clean off of the base of the tank.

Keller surveyed the damage. The convoy of nine Nod vehicles had been completely destroyed, caught in the ambush. Behind him, Corporal McCallister turned around, and he saw the sight no Zone Trooper ever wanted to see. Two Venom patrol craft were screaming over the Red Zone, bearing in on the squad.

"Sarge!" he called out, though he didn't really need to, the comms system carried his voice loud and clear at any volume. "Two Venoms, inbound."

"Dammit," spat Keller. "The bastards must have called for help." Zone Troopers were particularly vulnerable to Nod's newest toy because the bulky railguns were near impossible to aim at the small, agile craft.

Keller heard moaning behind him. In the wreckage of the Scorpion, a Nod technician lay, clutching his horribly burned face with bloody hands. Keller ham handedly picked the technician up and tossed him in front of him, leveling his railgun at the man. Holding the weapon in one hand, he held up an empty palm. Though he could not communicate with the Venoms, the message was abundantly clear: Come any closer, and the man dies. The Venoms stopped, hovering over the battlefield now, indecisive. Keller smiled and he didn't even have to give the order to fire. Venoms, when moving, were impossible targets to hit, but Venoms, when hovering, were easy pickings. The heavy railgun would swiss-cheese the lightweight aluminum casing of the aircraft and both erupted in flame as the squad opened fire.

As the Venoms crashed to the ground, Keller looked at the man, who gazed piteously at him with eyes that may have been blue. The Nod soldier, unable to speak, pointed at Keller's sidearm, a standard-issue pistol, and then pointed at himself. Keller nodded, understanding, pulled out the pistol, and ended the man's life. After the body crumpled into the earth, he turned around.

"Alright boys, let's head home."

_This is my first contribution so please r&r! Thanks!_


End file.
